10 Quotes to Promote Mindfulness at Work

by Tim English - VP Superior Business Solutions on November 1, 2018

Meditation is a Business Skill

On Tuesday, I shared that I was motivated to investigate mindfulness and guided imagery thanks to our CMO, who practices it regularly. I was originally a bit skeptical, but I learned that it can help you focus on business and de-stress your workday. (The same thing print management helps you do, as I pointed out.)

Mindfulness sounds like a pretty “cosmic” concept, but as I poked around the internet and other sources, I learned that it is actually quite the opposite. Mindfulness helps you appreciate where you are and focus on the most important things each moment. And it applies whether you’re planning your future or sweeping the floor.

Helping Mindfulness Work at Work

If you think this doesn’t sound like me, you’re probably right. But a quote from Eric Schmidt, a former CEO of Google, helped convince me to be more open to things. He said, “a mind set in its ways is wasted.” It’s true – the brain has an amazing ability to learn and adapt, and I figure we should give it a chance to do its thing.

I searched for some inspiring quotes to help us get our minds in the moment and thought I’d share some of my favorites.

Mindful Means Taking Things in Stride

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.” – Eckhart Tolle

“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.” – Pema Chödrön

Mindfulness Means Being Happy and Hopeful RIGHT NOW

“Happiness, not in another place but this place …not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” – Mother Teresa

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” – Buddha

“Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life.” – Marcus Aurelius, second century Roman Emperor

Mindfulness Impacts How We Treat Others

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“If every 8-year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” – Dalai Lama

Mindfulness Can Just Feel Good

“It feels good. Kinda like when you have to shut your computer down, just sometimes when it goes crazy, you just shut it down and when you turn it on, it’s okay again. That’s what meditation is to me.” – Ellen DeGeneres

One More, For Me

One other quote caught my attention because I’ve been using it for years as mostly a joke, without really understanding it. Jon Kabat-Zinn said “wherever you go, there you are.” Now I get it. But I’d like to change it a bit, and add an 11th quote to this list.

“Wherever you go, BE there.” ─ Tim English

And be there fully. If you’re talking to an employee or associate, engage. They are worth your full attention, no matter how busy you are. If you are working out a problem, don’t put it off. Think it through realistically and deal with it. And when you are at your child’s school for a meeting or activity, or just enjoying your family, that’s the most important thing you could be doing at that moment. Forget work, even if you work for us.

Put the Focus on Efficiency

Mindfulness helps you accomplish more things at work and enjoy more of your personal life with the time you save. No wonder I’m coming around; efficiency is what Superior Business Solutions was founded on nearly 100 years ago.

That experience has paid off for our customers all along the way. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified and winners of a second consecutive Best of Print and Digital award. (That is based on our customers’ evaluation of our services.) Make a mindful choice not to miss out on any of the tips we share, based on all that experience. Sign up for our newsletter today.